


Afterlife

by ABSedarian



Series: Thirty Worlds (AU Challenge) [8]
Category: Mass Effect, Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU - Futuristic, AU Challenge, Challenge on Infinite Earths, F/F, Slight Crossover with Mass Effect, because it fit so well
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-20
Updated: 2015-05-20
Packaged: 2018-03-31 11:25:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,198
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3976342
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ABSedarian/pseuds/ABSedarian
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU Challenge / Challenge on Infinite Earths</p><p>Day 8: Futuristic</p><p>Commander Regina Mills goes to Afterlife to recruit the mysterious Emma Swan and gets more than she expected.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Afterlife

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: Not my characters, not my location.
> 
> A/N: Crossover with Mass Effect because reasons. Inspired by a fake movie poster I once made. :)

Afterlife was pulsing with the insistent beat of the music and the rhythm of the people moving to it on the different dance floors. As always, Regina stopped just inside the door to get her bearings, to let her body adjust to the onslaught of sights and sounds. As usual, she wished she could be back on the Normandy, in her quarters or enjoying a drink and a poker game with her crew in the lounge. 

“Aria’s business seems to be booming despite the war raging on outside.” Regina could only hear Liara’s voice through her comm system even though the Asari was standing right next to her. 

She nodded. “I’d say it’s booming _because_ of the war raging outside of these walls.” 

“Most humans like to avoid dealing with unpleasantness,” Zaeed added, distaste written all over his features. Then again, it could have been the scars that made him look like that. Regina hadn’t known him long enough to be able to really tell yet. 

“Liara, you’re with me,” Regina ordered. “We’re going to pay Aria a visit.” She turned to the other two team members. “Zaeed and Miranda, you scope out the place and find our mark. Remember, the dossier said she’d be hard to find, even in plain sight.” 

o-o-o 

“Aria,” was all Regina said in greeting. 

The imposing Asari simply nodded. “What brings you to Omega this time? Recruiting _again_ in my domain?” 

Regina rolled her eyes. “Don’t pretend you don’t like my presence,” she shot back with a smirk. “I’m looking for someone … a woman named Emma Swan.” 

Aria cocked her head. “If you continue to use my club as your recruiting office, I should charge you for the privilege.” There was no real bite behind the words, however. “She should be here tonight,” she added slowly, her tone slightly less bored than usual. 

So Emma Swan had even Aria intrigued. Regina raised an eyebrow as she wondered what made the woman so special. “Any idea where she likes to hang out?” 

“She likes dancing,” was all Aria said in reply, which wasn’t particularly helpful considering that Afterlife had a dozen dance floors or more. Aria saw the impatient look on Regina’s face. “Even if I told you exactly which dance floor she prefers, it wouldn’t help you. She could be dancing right next to you and you wouldn’t see her if she didn’t want you to.” 

Regina grunted. She hated missions like these. “How—“ 

“She knows you’re coming for her, I assume,” Aria continued. “Go to the main dance floor and enjoy yourself, Commander. Let her come to you.” 

Regina knew a dismissal when she heard one so she got to her feet and left Aria’s little haven. “Enjoy myself,” she grumbled under her breath, but Liara heard it through the comm. 

“It would be good for you to let loose for once,” the Asari commented mildly. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” 

“You’re wound tighter than a cobra poised to attack, Commander,” Liara explained, eyes sincere. “Since it seems you have to anyway, why not relax and enjoy yourself?” 

o-o-o 

The main dance floor was packed, just like all the other dance floors, and the music here was even louder than anywhere else in the club. Regina could feel it in every cell of her body, could sense the vibration inside. It was oddly freeing, and she wondered if that was the allure, the reason why Emma Swan apparently came here every night. 

Soon, even these minor thoughts vanished as the beat took over and her body began to move with it. Her eyes closed of their own volition as she let the music take over. Liara watched from the edge of the dance floor and smiled at her uptight commander moving sensuously to the music, and tried hard not to let it affect her. They had dabbled in a little romance before Regina’s death and subsequent resurrection but had soon realized that they made much better friends than lovers. That didn’t mean, however, that Liara didn’t feel a little hot under her collar watching her friend and commanding officer writhing to the music. 

Despite that, she continued to watch over her, as was her duty. Then, all of a sudden, there was a shimmer next to the commander, a blur that soon revealed itself as the form of a blonde, stunningly beautiful woman. Liara couldn’t take her eyes off the two women but before long she began to feel slightly uncomfortable at what she was seeing. Not that this kind of thing wasn’t happening all around her as well — this was Afterlife, after all — but the other people weren’t someone she was intimately familiar with. She turned her back to the sight and scanned the crowd for Zaeed and Miranda. 

When she turned back around, Regina and their target were gone. 

o-o-o 

Regina was actually beginning to enjoy herself when she felt the very air around her change. She opened her eyes to see and came face to face with the most beautiful woman she had ever met. Long blonde hair framed a perfect face, but it was the eyes that really drew her in as they seemed to change color with the changes in the lighting around them. The picture in her dossier really didn't do this woman justice. 

Regina swallowed, her throat suddenly incredibly dry. “Emma Swan?” she asked, leaning in close so she could be heard. 

The vision before her nodded, then leaned in even closer. “Commander Regina Mills, I presume,” she stated directly into Regina’s ear, her breath caressing her earlobe. And was that a tongue? Regina shivered. “Let’s dance.” 

“We need to talk,” Regina tried. 

Emma Swan just shook her head and gave her a wild grin. Then she started dancing. 

Regina swore the temperature inside the club increased exponentially with the way Emma Swan was moving to the music. Her whole body was part of it as she closed her eyes and gave herself over to the beat. Regina couldn’t do anything but move with her. As she closed her eyes, letting loose, letting herself go, she could feel Emma moving in front of her, next to her, behind her, all around her. 

She could feel Emma against her back, grinding against her, into her from behind. She could feel the woman’s hard nipples pressing into her upper back even through their clothes. A long arm snaked around her body, and a hand suddenly ran along her torso, touching everywhere, enticing, beguiling, but somehow never quite enough. Regina moaned low in her throat, glad that nobody could hear, wondering what kind of spell Emma was weaving over her. Was she fully human? What kind of power was that? 

She must have tensed in Emma’s arms because the next thing she knew the other woman pressed herself even closer into her and nuzzled into her neck. “Relax.” Regina could feel the low command more than she could hear it, and her body was helpless to do anything but follow it. “That’s right,” the voice continued. “Just enjoy yourself.” 

Both of Emma’s hands were now running over her body, tracing patterns in time with the music. Other bodies kept jostling into them on the crowded dance floor but neither of them cared. Regina reached behind her with one hand just to touch, to feel connected to reality, and ended up pulling Emma impossibly closer by her hip. Her other hand reached up to tangle in blonde curls. She turned her head to the side in a silent expression of need and their lips met in a wild, hot kiss that seared the last of Regina’s functioning brain cells. 

They kissed relentlessly, furiously, wetly, trading nips and sucks with almost playful back and forths until Regina couldn’t take the awkward angle anymore and turned in Emma’s arms to get even closer. Their kiss never stopped while Regina turned, but as soon as they were facing each other, they parted for a breath and then just stared into the other’s eyes. “I don’t ever do this kind of thing,” Regina heard herself say. “I usually have more control.” 

To her surprise Emma smiled and Regina could have sworn the color in her cheeks intensified. “I don’t either,” Emma admitted, speaking directly into Regina’s mouth. “I know you don’t believe me,” she continued when she saw the skeptical look on Regina’s face. “But I’ve watched you since you came in here tonight. I knew you were coming for me … I just didn’t know you’d be so damn beautiful. I couldn’t help myself.” 

Regina’s hand unconsciously went to the scars on her face. “You’re the one who’s beautiful,” she whispered, but Emma heard her anyway. “I’m just a banged-up old soldier.” 

Emma kissed her softly and ran her tongue over the scar on Regina’s lip. “You’ve lived,” she said when they parted once more. “You've died. You’ve fought for your life and that of everyone in the galaxy. Believe me, that is beautiful to me.” 

Then she closed the minute distance between them again and words ceased to exist in the space surrounding them. These kisses were different, slower, gentle, almost tender even. Exploring rather than plundering, giving rather than taking, and the coil of tension in Regina’s lower belly tightened to an almost uncomfortable degree. She needed to touch and be touched in return, and sooner rather than later, or she might just spontaneously combust right here on the dance floor. She doubted Aria would appreciate that. 

“I want you,” Emma breathed into her ear, nipping the ear lobe, running her tongue along the sensitive skin before moving lower, to the neck, inadvertently discovering the spot that drove Regina even wilder. “I need to feel you,” Emma continued, and Regina could feel her words vibrate from Emma’s chest to hers. “I need you. I’ve waited so long for you.” 

Regina had no idea what Emma meant by those words, but she felt them just the same. “Yes,” she moaned. “Let’s get out of here, somewhere a little more private.” She tried to disentangle herself from Emma but the other woman wouldn’t let go. “We can’t walk like this,” Regina chuckled with a slight groan, leaning into Emma’s touch. If they didn’t move to the Normandy soon, she’d take Emma right here, no matter the consequences. Knowing Aria, she’d probably only charge her patrons extra for the show. 

“Walking takes too long,” Emma rasped against Regina’s clavicle. “I can get us there faster.” 

Regina threw her head back to give Emma better access and pressed her head closer with both hands wrapped in silky blonde hair. “How?” 

“Have your pilot lower the shields,” Emma replied, not letting up, nipping and sucking, leaving tiny marks on Regina’s body. 

Regina stopped all movements. “What?” 

Emma sighed. “I can take us to the Normandy,” she explained softly, looking straight into Regina’s eyes, trying to convey that she wasn’t planning anything sinister. “But not when the shields are up.” 

Regina hesitated. She was so incredibly turned on that she would do almost anything to get off at this point, but risking her ship? And with it her crew? That could be taking it a little too far. 

“Trust me,” Emma pleaded. “Because I really want you and I don’t know how long I can maintain control of myself and my powers if we don’t go right fucking now.” 

Regina studied Emma’s face and eyes, and suddenly felt a sense of calm. She had no idea why, but she knew this was meant to happen. This were meant to be. She activated her comm link to the ship. “Joker, lower the shields.” 

“You sure, Commander?” her pilot asked. 

“I’m sure,” she replied, looking into Emma’s eyes. 

“How long?” Joker’s disembodied voice asked. 

“Fifteen seconds,” Regina replied after reading the time from Emma’s lips. 

“Shields are down.” 

“Think of your quarters.” Emma wrapped herself around Regina and suddenly everything around them began to shimmer in a bright light. Regina closed her eyes against it and focused on the feel of Emma in her arms and her quarters on the Normandy. Just as quickly as it had started, it was over, and when Regina opened her eyes, she found herself standing next to her bed in her quarters, Emma in her arms. 

“You can teleport,” Regina stated, slightly shocked. “I didn’t know people could do that.” 

Emma shrugged, a small blush covering her cheeks. “I can if I want it badly enough.” 

“And you did want it badly enough, it seems.” Regina smiled and cupped Emma’s face before leaning in for a soft kiss that quickly ignited into something much more intense. 

“You have no idea,” Emma panted as they parted for breath. 

“We really have a lot to talk about.” Regina had no idea where that came from and from the incredulous look on Emma’s face, neither did she. 

“We will talk,” Emma replied with a smile. “Once we’re not both turned on almost to the point of no return, Commander.” 

With that, she pushed Regina onto the bed and crawled after her, dropping kisses everywhere she could reach. 

Talking would just have to wait. 

**The End**


End file.
